Chief Justice of India Justice S A Bobde on Monday has hinted towards more digital courts. He said video conferencing and e-filing is here stay.
Talking to the press about how the judiciary is tackling the menace of the coronavirus outbreak, the Chief Justice said: "Men, money, material - how it should be deployed, prioritized it is for the executive to decide."
He said that in times of crisis, three organs of government - parliament, executive and judiciary -- should act in harmony, with an aim to get over the crisis. Citing hearing of pleas through video conferencing, he insisted that the apex court is doing whatever is possible during this crisis. "Video conferencing proceedings is here to stay, but it will not entirely replace the courts," he added.
On the aspect of the judiciary in saving people's rights, Chief Justice Bobde said undoubtedly executive can't allow the lives of citizens to be endangered, and when that happens, surely the court will intervene.
While talking to Indian Express, justice can be equally done without robes or congregation. When asked about his vision of the Judiciary in the post-COVID world, CJI Bobde told the leading daily, the entire fraternity of judges and lawyers would have realised what is essential to the judicial process and what is not. There would have been the realisation that there needs to be a different emphasis for a more just society and that problems can be addressed in many ways other than the traditional ones.
CJI also said that that the Supreme Court has given proper directions to the Centre to provide food, shelter, psychological counselling, and other basic necessities to the needy people during the lockdown.
"We have given proper directions to the Central government to provide food, shelter, psychological counselling, and other basic necessities to the needy people during this COVID-19 lockdown," CJI Bobde told reporters. He said that the judiciary is doing whatever it can at this time of crisis.
